Getting Started
One of the best ways to get started is with a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP). The MHTP allows eligible people to access our services through the Medicare Rebate. For eligibility criteria please visit the Department of Health’s “Better Access” site.
Medicare rebates are available for up to 10 sessions per calendar year.
Medicare rebate is accessible when you have a referral letter and a Mental Health Treatment (MHTP) from your GP.
Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP)
A Mental Health Treatment Plan (previously known as ‘mental health care plan’) is a support plan for someone who is experiencing mental health issues. It identifies the type of health care you need and what you are aiming to achieve. If you are curious about what a MHTP looks like, please visit the Department of Health’s website.
How to get your MHTP:
Make an appointment with your GP (general practitioner) and specify to the receptionist that you need a MHTP. This will ensure that the GP allocates sufficient time.
Bring your Medicare card and ID to your GP appointment and talk to your GP about your mental health concerns and how it affects your life. Your GP may ask you to come back for a second consultation before deciding whether a mental health treatment plan is the right thing for you.
Your GP may refer you to a psychologist nearby, but you can find a psychologist that you want to work with. The referral maybe used with your psychologist of choice.
Fee Structure with Medicare Rebate (in-person and telehealth sessions). A session is 50-60 minutes.
Business hours sessions (Mon- Fri, 9am - 4pm)
$85.95 out of pocket fee
15 minutes before the session ends, a fee of $235 is charged to your credit card. You will typically receive the Medicare rebate of $149.05 (01 July 2026 - 30 June 2027) within the next 2-3 business days.
After hours sessions (After 4pm on weekdays and Saturdays)
$ 110.95 out of pocket fee
15 minutes before the session ends, a fee of $260 is charged to your credit card . You will typically receive the Medicare rebate of $149.05 (01 July 2026 - 30 June 2027) within the next 2-3 business days.
Fee Structure without Medicare Rebate (in-person and telehealth sessions). A session is 50-60 minutes.
Note: If you have a private health insurance, please check with them whether you are covered for Psychology services. Unfortunately, if you are receiving the Medicare rebate, you cannot use your private health insurance.
Business hours session (Mon- Fri, 9am - 4pm)
$ 235
15 minutes before the session ends, a fee of $235 is charged to your credit card.
After hours session (After 4pm on weekdays and Saturdays)
$ 260
15 minutes before the session ends, a fee of $260 is charged to your credit card.
What’s next?
When you are ready to take the first step, please contact us and our psychologist will reach out to you and book the initial appointment for you.
After you have booked in the appointment, you will receive a confirmation email with your appointment time and date. You will also receive an invitation email to complete the client intake form.
The intake form requests for your personal details, bank details and credit card details, as well as the consent form and associated policies for you to sign. This information is critical to ensure that we devote our time towards you and what you need on our first session rather than spending it on administration tasks.
If you are unsure about any aspects while making your appointment, please email your queries or concerns to hopefulmindpsychology@gmail.com or call us at the number below.
What to expect in the first session?
Whether this is your first time going to therapy, or even if you have done this before, seeing a new psychologist can be daunting. Knowing what happens in the first session can be helpful. What typically happens in the first session is to understand the reason why you come for therapy, brief understanding of your current functioning (sleep, apetite, work, social life, relationships, health, etc), and what you would like to get out of therapy. From here, your psychologist will discuss ways to get to your therapy goals and to discuss behavioural tools for you to practice outside of sessions.
Subsequent Sessions and Therapy Expectations.
The first few sessions usually is an assessment stage, meaning that your psychologist is trying to understand where you are at and evaluating the support you need. After that, your psychologist will be able to offer you some first impressions and a treatment plan.
Psychology services vary depending on the personalities of the psychologist and client and the particular reasons you are seeing a psychologist. Your psychologist may use different evidence-based strategies to manage issues that brought you to therapy. For the therapy to be most successful, it will require an active effort on your part. This means that it will be important to understand what you want to get out of the session, and to practice strategies discussed in sessions in order to achieve change. Communication is an important part of therapy. Meaning. if you have questions or concerns about the procedures, please discuss it with your psychologist. From here, your psychologist can offer different solutions, which may include referring you to someone else.